The North Yorkshire Careers Education and Information Advice and Guidance Gold Award on line
Never before has the need for good careers education and information, advice and guidance (CE & IAG) been more essential. The society in which we live has rapidly become more complex as instant access to global information, travel, communication and entertainment via the internet has developed in recent years. Partly due to this, and partly due to wider societal changes, it is now evident that young people have to make many more decisions and choices about their lifestyle, education and future career than any previous generation. There is, therefore, a need for robust local systems to be in place for the provision and delivery of CE & IAG for all young people as they progress through their teenage years and into adulthood. In York and North Yorkshire, planning for this is already well advanced through the network of established local consortia.
Schools, colleges and learning providers are at the heart of impartial CE & IAG. And to provide a tool for partners (schools, colleges and training providers) to assess their IAG provision against very detailed and exacting processes, the CE & IAG Gold Award has been developed and is currently being piloted with the support of Connexions in York and North Yorkshire. It is not about questioning the occupational training or professional competence of individuals involved in providing information, advice or guidance but it is about challenging the way those professionals operate together. This Gold Standard has been produced by experienced practitioners and is aligned to principles and values established in both the York and North Yorkshire 14-19 CE & IAG Strategies. Recognition is given to the East Riding CE & IAG teams who initiated the Award and on which our local Award is developed. The Gold Award is also complementary to the DCSF National Quality Standards for commissioners of information advice and guidance services for young people. A copy of these can be found at: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/resources-and-practice/IG00253
The detailed IAG Processes, Outcomes and Sources of Evidence listed in this Gold Standard are linked to the 12 broad requirements of the DCSF standards for IAG and the national IAG entitlement framework ‘Supporting Choices 11-19+’. Demonstrating the principles contained within the Gold Standard will help schools and colleges to complete two sections of Ofsted’s School Evaluation Form (SEF). These are: 4e How well do learners prepare for their future economic well-being?; 5c How well are learners guided and supported? This will provide a powerful piece of evidence to illustrate the quality of the IAG that they provide for their young people. It is also important to note that the implementation of a local standard forms part of the DCSF 14-19 Progress checks.
The Gold Standard has been expressed as ten elements, each comprising a number of components which all IAG providers must collectively demonstrate and evidence in order that their school, college or training provider be awarded the Gold Standard. The expected processes, outcomes and evidence for each element are listed separately.
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